


PMD: Team storm! (Nice name, hero)

by MaiaDraconica



Category: Pokemon Mystery Dungeon, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time & Explorers of Darkness & Explorers of Sky, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team & Blue Rescue Team
Genre: Angst, Drama
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-27
Updated: 2019-09-27
Packaged: 2020-10-29 10:04:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20794862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaiaDraconica/pseuds/MaiaDraconica
Summary: And here you are, washed up on a beach. To bad its the only thing following your expectations. Its about time you wake up and learn that real life isn't like a video game. You might technically be the main character but right now you're just some random person that ended up in a very bad situation, and the world does NOT revolve around you. On another note, have fun!





	PMD: Team storm! (Nice name, hero)

**I haven't written anything in a long time and sometimes when I say things that makes sense to me, it doesn't always make sense to everyone else. A short summary would be that this is a story that follows the basic plot of the Pokémon mystery dungeon explorers' games, but I want to make things a bit more alive in a sense and so it'll branch of somewhat in the future.**

* * *

But it still starts just like it usually does. You knew somewhat how it was supposed to go but even then you couldn't really prepare for what was coming. You also knew he would heed your earlier advice but there wasn't much else you could do, other than give him a subtle reminder to be careful and to remember what the two of you had been discussing earlier.

It was a rather weak precaution that probably wouldn't make a difference, but it didn't stop you from taking his hand in yours. A thinly veiled, last-ditch effort to avoid the difficulties you knew were in store for the both of you. Or maybe you just wanted that feeling of safety one last time. Your grip tightened just a little. _Its unavoidable_ you thought. It wasn't something you could stop, but that didn't mean you couldn't at least try. You didn't enjoy the thought of leaving a certain someone behind to do all the fighting by themselves either, and ignored the sinking feeling in your gut. Despite your unease, the two of you stepped forward and you started a countdown. It was for both of your sakes as it calmed the nerves just a little and gave the both you something to prepare for.

When you went through, it was even more disorientating than you had expected. That wasn't important though because you saw it coming, and you fulfilled your role as the hero you were trying to be. Like the hero you were supposed to be. In your staged little sacrifice you felt panic, fear, and then you felt pain. So. Much. Pain. It was tearing at your very being, spreading like fire across your body. Its why your vision was swimming, its why words were the only thing you could make out. It was more shouting than words really. Someone telling you to not let go. To hold on just a little longer. You tried, you really did. But despite your efforts, you felt your grip weaken before eventually slipping completely. Someone was shouting again. Maybe it was him. Maybe it was you. I know for sure it wasn't me.

You never minded water before, it would always be calm and easy to deal with. At one point you hadn't been the biggest fan, but that fear was left far in the past, even further than now and in a different world that mattered little in the life you had led in the last few years. Being thrown headfirst into a stormy ocean certainly reminded you as to why you had been afraid before. With all these raging winds pushing the waves over your struggling little figure it was understandable why you were so terrified. After all, your journey had just started, and you were already about to die. The first trial of many. Do you think you will be able to make it to the end? We can make a bet.

Lost in a storm at sea don't sound like a very nice ending. Are you going to give up in the first chapter? Of course you won't, because you're the main character and the world needs you, or something along those lines. So like the good little hero you supposedly are, you refuse to go down and you keep fighting for your meager, little life. By now it should be second nature to you with everything you've gone through recently.

The taste of saltwater would probably never leave your mouth with how much of it you swallowed. You'll probably never be able to wash the smell out. You'd never forget the constriction of your lungs as they struggled for air only to be filled with water. You had managed to stay afloat long enough for you to wash up on a beach. That beach. All according to the script. Unfortunately you're too exhausted to keep your eyes open and drift away, just like you're supposed to.

_Whatever happened definitely knocked something lose,_ you thought as you finally managed to pull your face out of the sand. You felt groggy and disorientated, like you usually would right after waking up in the morning. But rather than being in a nice, warm bed or on a cavern floor, you were here, on a beach. You tried pushing yourself to your feet and froze when you felt your joints creak. Rather than continue the struggle you moved over to being seated, at least you were closer to getting up then when you woke. Baby steps. You don't like sand much. It's coarse and rough and irritating and it gets everywhere. In your eyes, in your mouth, in your fur and it made your whole body itch.

You finally plucked up the courage to look yourself over. Five fingers_. Well at least that's a start _you thought to yourself, despite me being right here. They were a bit too small for your liking, but you didn't have much of a choice in the matter. At least you HAD hands. Not like you could redo everything if you didn't like the results. Not here at least. You never considered yourself all that hardy from what little you could remember (or hasty, you weren't sure which one counted currently) and neither were you the type to look a gift horse in the mouth. Or at least you didn't think you were.

A small button nose. Pudgy cheeks. Long ears with blacked tips. you knew something was different from the moment you felt the sand in your fur. Any other time it would have been very alarming for you to have bright, yellow fur. Not now though. You had expected the change, or at least some kind of change. Maybe that's why you don't panic like you're supposed to, because you knew this would happen, didn't you?

Well, right now you don't know exactly, but you had a feeling it was supposed to go this way. See, memories tend to be a bit fleeting when these things happen. Changing forms and all that. I'm sure you're aware of it, playing those games of yours. But how many of your memories are you missing? How far back do they go? Do you remember your life before all this? Before you came here? Or more importantly, do you remember what you lost? Or more like, do you remember who lost you? You just can't seem put your finger on it. You can feel it though. Somewhere in your chest there is a dull ache. Not the soreness that is still lingering throughout your body, but a different pain. Something you knew wouldn't go away anytime soon. It told you there was something missing, something important.

You pawed your collarbone, your fist clenching in your fur. You felt a bile rise in your throat and your eyes began to sting, _this really isn't the time _you thought_. _You hadn't been sitting here for too long, but you still shouldn't linger. It was never safe to stay in one place to long. _It isn't dark now, _you mused. Over the years you had learned that it was never safe when it was dark. But it was always dark, or it used to be, what changed? You didn't just imagine it all. Something was different now, but you just weren't sure what. Let's be honest, it's because you can't really remember, can you? There was still that nervousness pricking the back of your skull. The fidgeting of your too tiny hands because any second now, something could happen. An ambush maybe. Your partner would never let their guard down and neither should you.

_That's right…..partner._

Which partner were you thinking about? It is rather quiet, don't you agree? Someone was supposed to be here, weren't they? According to the script anyway. In the end it might have been a bit too much to hope for. This world doesn't revolve around you after all. Not when it's for real.

Despite your unease you let your eyes drink in the view. It was just a sunset, nothing special. But then again, there was something about it. You were somewhat in wonder at the colors dancing in the sky, as if it was the first time you had ever seen them. But that couldn't be right, because you knew what a sunset looked like, you had seen them before after all. Somewhere. But why did it feel as if it was the first light you had seen for so long. Your felt prickling in your eyes again and tried to rub the discomfort away with your knuckles.

_It really is beautiful _you thought. A small sniffle escaped you and you heaved just a little. Your mouth was so dry.

"_I can't wait to see your face when you see it!"_ You almost jumped at the words that passed through your head. You shut your eyes in a fleeting attempt to get a hold of anything more. You remembered a wish, you wanted to share this view with someone. It all reminded you of something, but you just could not remember. No matter how much you raked your brain, you ended up empty handed. Your button nose twitched in irritation. Every failed attempt at recalling grated on your nerves just a little bit more than the last. You took a deep breath, _this isn't doing me any good_ you thought and turned your attention back to the scenery. A small light in all this frustration.

Bubbles were floating at the edge of your vision. Despite their beauty, you mostly ignored them in favor for the painting of red and orange before you. If the sun set, would it come back up? It would of course, because that's what the sun does. Rotation of the planets and all that. You know this but even then you were still worried for some reason. You knew it was an irrational fear, yet it wasn't entirely unfounded. Personal experience saw to that. Experience that was embedded into your very being by now, experience that had kept you alive.

_They would have loved this view _you told yourself and felt a small smile form on your lips. _Especially the bubbles._

But who were they? You tried to remember, but there was more than one face that came to mind. All supposedly young, with different colored feathers, fur, scales. But they would all have that same gleam in their eyes. The same ambitions. The same question directed at you. Not just them though, he would also have loved this view. But then again, who was he? It seemed to go back to those words and that wish still lingering in your hazy memories. A wish you believed might be yours. A wish to watch the sunset with a certain someone. It was a fleeting and broken memory, but it was something and you managed to piece some parts of it together. It was all you had, but it was a start. You suddenly felt very alone, even more so than earlier. You weren't supposed to be alone right now.

_Someone else were supposed to be here right?! _You thought while trying to ignore the building panic and uncertainty. Yet you were still here all alone. Alone just like someone else you probably can't remember. You weren't supposed to wake up alone. Someone else was supposed to be here, you're sure of it. They were important. They had something _important._ you knew it even without the majority of your memories, because there was still something there, something faint. A faded image of a family, a human family. Of a somewhat mundane but happy existence that seemed as though it was a lifetime ago. It might as well have been. The vague recollection from an unknown source told you that you were not supposed to be alone.

You couldn't stand the uncertainty, or the waiting. There was never waiting, there was always action. Or planning. Or running. You would run until you couldn't run anymore and then you rest and then you run some more. _There is no waiting for things to happen _and with that, you decided to finally make a move of your own. If whoever was supposed to be here didn't show, then you would simply find them yourself. Whoever they were, whatever face they might be wearing.

Despite your body's protest you managed to stand up somewhat, as steady as you possibly could with such an unfamiliar shape. Your head was a little too large, your limbs a little too short, your hands and feet a little too small. And your tail? Well It was strange to say the least. You had been left wondering for a long time what it would feel like to be a Pokémon, and now you know. At least a little bit.

You made your way across the beach where the sand would eventually turn into a road. If you kept going in your current direction, you knew you would eventually end up someplace safe. You quickened your pace as much as your body would allow, but a flash of someone somewhat familiar gave you pause. You couldn't go there just yet. Something was missing. You wanted to stick to the scrip as much as possible because you hoped it would made things easier to predict. What scrip were you thinking of? It's not as if you could remember the details of it. Might as well let yourself lose on the world and see what happens. I think it would be funny. You wouldn't agree though because unlike me, you actually care. About the ending to this story. The ending to your story. The ending of those people whose face you can't even remember. Things got a lot more tense for you when it was no longer a game, didn't it?

You were ready to slap yourself over getting so easily distracted. In your defense it's not so surprising, with all those memories gone you got a lot more space to get lost in. Despite your diversion you did manage to catch the eye of a small Pokémon across from you. Or you would have if they didn't try their damnedest to avoid looking at you. You also took note of the small pendant that almost disappeared beneath the Pokémon's blue feathers.

_The relic fragment_ your brain told you. You remember that, sort of. The small Pokémon kept an ample amount of space between the two of you as they waddled their way down to the beach from where you came. You opened your mouth in an attempt to call their attention to you, but all you could manage was a restrained cough. The ocean waters sure did a number on your throat and you currently felt incredibly parched. You ignored the discomfort and made your way after the penguin Pokémon. You needed to talk to them, make some sort of contact. At the end of an upcoming scuffle, they would declare you a friend and from there on your bond would grow. Or at least that's what's supposed to happen.

You didn't recognize any kinship from the way the water type kept glancing behind their shoulder, giving you meek looks of…was that fear? Were they afraid of you? This wasn't right, it wasn't supposed to go like this. What if you scared them off, what if they wanted nothing to do with you? You knew you couldn't let it go on like this and forced yourself to open your mouth a second time.

"You also wanted to see the sunset?" You tried, waiting anxiously for a reply, anything that told you where the two of you currently stood.

"y-yes…." They confirmed with a stutter but said nothing more. You settled beside them in the sand. As if you wanted anything more to do with this damned beach and its damned ocean.

"It's really pretty isn't it" You tried again, hoping the little bird didn't notice your not so subtle change of direction when they had made their way past you. The way they were tensing up told you that they did in fact notice. _Shit._

"yes…." Their voice was even quiet this time to the point where even with your improved hearing, you could barely make out the word.

An awkward silence was left between the two of you. You must not have been a very social person because you had no clue on how to salvage the situation. _How does one make friends again?_ You hadn't made a friend in a long time. Not since…since when?

On another note, you were supposed to be friends with this Pokemon. They would need help and as the main character you would swoop in and give them the support and partnership they needed and sought after. Somehow you knew how this first interaction was supposed to go. That was exactly the reason as to why your panic was flaring even more with each passing moment because what was currently happening, was NOT how things were supposed to go.

Where was the cause of this Pokémon's desperation? Where is the ones who were supposed to play the role of the villains? You craned your neck to see the beach behind you but there was no one else here. Just the two of you and this crushing silence that reminded you more and more about how out of place this entire situation was. How wrong it was. _It shouldn't be like this_. It was grating your nerves. _It's all wrong!_

Your head lit up with an idea. Opening up could be a way to bond right? Putting your trust in someone and telling them about your own hardship might make them sympathize, right? Maybe you could be the one to ask them for help. People in general liked being useful, didn't they? You're sure the same goes for Pokémon. Not as if you actually could remember the last interaction you had with a living being, so you might be wrong. But an idea, no matter how uncertain, was better than nothing, better than this uncomfortable silence.

You could share a story, or you would if you could actually remember anything. Maybe you could tell them how you washed up on the beach after almost drowning several times during the storm the night before. You could tell them you were human and had lost all your memories! That's usually how it goes in these situations right? You were on the fence when it came to talking about the whole human turning into a Pokémon thing. The last time it got out that you were human, you were ran out of town. Being forced to climb several mountains with the threat of death at your heels were not an experience you'd like to repeat anytime soon. It wasn't going by the script anymore, and there's no threat that makes you necessary to this Pokémon. They have no reason to believe or trust you. Starting with "hello, I'm actually a human with amnesia" is probably not the best course of action. Feel free to try though, I could use a laugh. You wouldn't though, because you only had one chance and there was no restarting if you messed things up

You opened your mouth for the third time and let the words roll off your tongue.

"I know it must look a bit creepy, me following you down here" You started carefully, hoping the smaller Pokémon wouldn't run away in fear after your confession.

"I was wandering around the cliff side and I guess some rocks gave away and I fell in the water" With no reply from the penguin Pokémon, you kept going. "I'm not the best swimmer but I managed to make it to shore somehow after drifting for a while"

You heard a sound of confirmation this time, at the very least you knew they were listening to you.

"My head must also have gotten a bit rattled because when I woke up, I didn't recognize where I was" You let your voice drift a little, letting your feelings of insecurity bleed into your words. Hoping it would sound more authentic.

"W-what were you doing you doing on a cliff side during a storm?" They asked you. You gave them what you imagined was a somewhat bashful but still bright smile.

"I…." You tried pausing just a moment for dramatic effect, "I wanted to go exploring" Your smile brightened even more. You saw Piplup's eyes light up and gave yourself a pat on the back for seemingly piquing his interest. "I thought I could make it back before the clouds rolled in" You kept talking to stave off any more awkward silence, and to hopefully keep your fellow Pokémon invested in the conversation.

"it might sound a bit silly, but I always loved the idea of exploring, you know like those teams right?" You kept on with the topic you knew would interest the water type. "Uncovering unknown treasures, or land, or maybe even history? Can you imagine doing that?" You tried reciting the words you had read in that little text box all those years ago. The idea honestly did fascinate you quite a bit, but currently all you had on your mind was getting this mess back on track.

"I was about to start looking around and then I saw you. I hoped you could help me find my way somehow." You tried, a hopeful look on your face. The penguin Pokémon looked at you for a few seconds before nodding and opened their beak, and you felt your face light up with your brightest smile yet. _Let's go to the guild!_

"There is a town right up ahead" There was a small tremble in their voice "I-I could show you the way if you'd like." _No! No! No!_ Your nose twitched again. Multiple times now.

"Here, let me show you" Piplup stood up and began waddling back from where he came. You ignored the discomfort, got to your feet and hurried to move into a pace beside him. "Oh, a town? Isn't there anywhere more suitable to helping Pokémon in need?" You tried. You couldn't let him lead you to the town, he'd leave you there and then what? There would be no coming back from that, and you couldn't accidentally bump into him again and somehow convince him to join an exploration team, it would look to suspicious. Even though that's what you were supposed to do in the first place! You jogged on ahead and stopped in front of the Pokémon.

"I really don't do well with crowds, is there somewhere smaller we could go? Maybe?" You let out a nervous laugh but kept the probably very stiff smile on your face.

"We could probably visit Magnezone station, they might be able to h-help you" No good, he was stuttering again and wouldn't look you in the eye anymore.

In a last-ditch effort, you went for the relic fragment. "wow!" You said with wide eyes "What a cool amulet, what is that?" You pointed a small finger at the little rock peeking out of Piplup's fluffy coat. He jumped somewhat at your sudden excitement but replied with a stutter nonetheless.

"Its m-my treasure" he started. His little flipper dug into his feathers and pulled the tiny rock out further. You saw it bound with a thin rope that was mostly hidden in his feathers. "I call it the relic fragment, the great explorer Wigglytuff gave it to me a few years ago!" The stutter was gone again and he near sang a praise when mentioning Wigglytuff. A memory you didn't know you had resurfaced, and a giant ball of fluff of pink fur filled with nothing but happiness and affection for those around them danced across your mind.

"Wigglytuff…" You repeated. "Who's that?" The name was familiar, and you bet half your left ear they had pink fur.

"You don't know Wigglytuff?! He's the greatest explorer of all time! He also runs a guild not far from here!" You saw an opportunity and flung yourself at it.

"There's an explorers guild here?!" You mustered the brightest smile you could. "Do you work there?!"

Piplup's face dropped at your last words. "I could never be an apprentice there…Exploring is just to dangerous for me" You didn't let your face drop. You refused. You forced yourself to keep your smile and edged closer

"You look like just the type of Pokémon that could be a great explorer some day!" You took a page out of this Wigglytuff's book and did a small twirl, pretending as though you couldn't keep your excitement bottled up any longer. "You could be a first-rate explorer, uncovering treasure and finding hidden lands! Don't that sound amazing!?" Your perceived emotions seemed to be somewhat infectious.

"You…You really think I could become an explorer?" The water Pokémon looked up at you hopefully, and you saw that light. That beautiful little light that needed to be nurtured and protected. The light you had expected from this Pokémon from the very beginning.

"Of course you can do it!" You moved even closer and placed a hand on the relic fragment still lying in Piplup's outstretched flipper. "And then, if you keep going, I bet you'll one day figure out where this rock came from and you're going to make a discovery that even Wigglytuff missed!"

"Really?" He looked at you with such hope in his eyes. Hope that made you ignore the doubtful voice in that back of your mind, namely me because this kid got like no motivation whatsoever without your encouragement. You sure you can't find another Pokémon that might cover your bases a little bit better? Like Maybe a Mudkip? Throw in a fire type Pokémon as well, maybe Charmander! Though I'm not sure you're allowed a second one of those. I bet getting the rock from that kid wouldn't be too hard either.

"Absolutely!" You told him with a twitch of your nose, somehow mustering up even more encouragement, possibly out of spite.

"Well then…" He started "Going by yourself would be really dangerous…and I really don't know anyone in the guild…" Your heart swelled with a newfound pride. He wasn't even stuttering anymore.

"Yeah?" You urged him on, wishing him to get the question out as quick as possible so you could answer without a single moment of hesitation, like you're supposed to. Though trying the other options is always funny.

"Would you…like to be m-" You cut his question short at the sound of small wing beats and braced for impact. You made sure to take the brunt of the damage, and had your arms wrapped protectively around the little bird before you both landed in the sand. Piplup after the little scuffled rolled away from you and got to his feet, breathing heavily and not even noticing what he was missing. You on the other hand felt the small rock now clutched in your hand. You jumped to your feet with as much energy you could muster and with the same big smile you had forced on your face earlier, you turned to face your attacker. meanwhile on the inside you were absolutely fuming. _What timing_.

"Well, I do beg your pardon!" A nasty little chuckle followed.

"Woops! That was unfortunate!" You laughed and turned your gaze to the larger of the two poison Pokémon. "I guess we really shouldn't be standing so much in the way, huh Piplup? Sorry about that!" You winked at the water Pokémon but he didn't seem to notice, being to preoccupied with shaking in fear at your new company and all that. You got the rock, its not to late to go find somebody else, maybe another lizard. You seem fond of those.

"Well anyway" You said as cheery as you possibly could in the current situation and grabbed Piplup's flipper. "We got stuff to do don't we, partner" You gave another big smile at your hopefully soon to be partner. The water Pokémon still looked terrified but was at least functioning enough to give you a nod of understanding. He fell behind you in stride as you started leading him away from the beach, away from any other possibilities of discouragement.

"Now hold up" The floating piece of fumes and garbage blocked your way. They gave a nasty look to your small companion that made him jump. "You, piss off" Koffing growled.

"Hold on, there's no reason we can't all get along" You started, as bright as ever. Killing with kindness was a thing in a functioning world right? To bad you couldn't do any actual killing. In the end they couldn't be all that bad. Right? They did redeemed themselves at one point right? You felt your smile wither just a little as Piplup tore his flipper out of your hand.

_He wouldn't…_

The bird Pokémon took a few shaky steps away from you.

_He wouldn't!…_

In one motion he turned on his heels and ran away from the beach, sand kicking up behind them.

_He did._

You face fell and your nose twitched. There weren't much mental energy left in you to keep up the positive façade. He left his treasure, he left YOU. Sure, you didn't know him all that well but you thought you somehow managed to get trough to him. Boy were you wrong! _This definitely wasn't supposed to happen._ You tried going after him but of course it wouldn't be that simple. "Piplup! Wait for me!" You managed to yell out before you felt something hit you in the side, sending you back in the sand again.

"Hold up" You heard Koffing wheeze, a smell of old cigarette smoke and rotting trash burned your nose. "You can go, after you leave the rock" He told you.

"Ahah, I have to get this back to Piplup!" You forced out a laugh while rolling over in the sand to get back on your feet.

"Are you deaf AND stupid?" The poison Pokémon questioned. You gave him a blank smile

"what?"

"I said leave the rock, and you can go" He repeated.

"And if you don't" Zubat swooped down in front of your face "we'll just do this the hard way" You wanted to smack the little shit out of the air but kept the forced smile on your face. There might still be a way for you to get out of this without it coming to blows.

"Its Piplups rock, I can't give it to anyone else" You tried, as friendly as you possibly could.

Koffing made a small flick of his head, or his whole body in this case and you felt Zubat's small fangs dig into your arm. The arm that still held on to the relic fragment. You let out a small shout as you tumbled to the sand for…what was it, the third time now? You gritted your teeth and tried slapping the bat Pokémon away, but your blows had little to no effect. You couldn't stop a yelp from coming out of your mouth when the poisoned fangs tore even deeper into your flesh.

"Just let go of the stupid rock" The gas Pokémon ordered "It's not like it got any value to you, save yourself the trouble" He rumbled in glee. This wasn't even about the rock for those two, they just wanted to be assholes. You couldn't let go of the stupid rock, because you knew it was important. It was a key to something, maybe your memories, maybe an actual treasure. You had no clue either way, but you refused to give up on anything that might lead you to some answers.

There were no bones to break, no eyes to gauge out. What other action could you take? What could a helpless electric mouse Pokémon like you possibly do in this situation? "Keep at it Zubat, maybe you'll tear their arm off" Koffing said with a big laugh. You felt your blood boil just a little bit, the natural electricity in your body crackling to life. It couldn't possibly be that easy.

"Fuck-" you growled, feeling the energy building "You!" with a yell you let the thundershock jump to the nearest target. Zubat tried to let go the moment sparks started dancing around your cheeks, but you wouldn't let him. You took a hold of his ear with your free hand, tightening your grip until you felt something grind beneath your fingers. "You little shit" You growled at him. He was screaming, but you didn't care. He had it coming, messing around with a little kid and a seemingly defenseless Pokémon like yourself. Eventually he stopped moving and you let the flying Pokémon drop to the ground. He was still alive, the twitching from his otherwise unmoving figure told you as much.

Your breath was heaving, either from exertion or pain you weren't sure. Maybe it was rage. Blood was seeping out of your wound and into your fur, dripping further down your arm and soaking the small rock you held in a vice grip. _It felt good_, you had to admit, having some actual power for a change. Koffing weren't laughing anymore. That was a victory in itself. When you turned to lay your eyes on him, he jumped as much as he possibly could while being suspended in the air.

"Okay fine! Keep the damn rock" He muttered. _So much for playing nice _you grinned. You couldn't really be bothered anymore and let loose another thundershock in the direction of the floating Pokémon. "I give up!" he shouted. Electricity dancer around him. He was stunned.

It only took another good hit for him to fall out of the air.

"What's wrong chicken? Can't face up to me?" The words fell out of your mouth as if you had heard them before, a form of irony if you could actually remember where they originated. "Not so tough when people fight back are you?" You kicked the poison Pokémon like a ball and saw him bounce around the sand. He didn't reply. You couldn't tell if Koffing were unconscious or just pretending to be, but you honestly couldn't care less. You glanced down at the bloody relic in your hand. A reminder that you had to find Piplup and set things right. Or you could find someone else still, do you really need someone who left you to the mercy of borderline criminals?

With a huff you brushed away the thought, ignored the rumbling in your stomach, the dryness of your throat and made way for treasure town. It was about time to, you were getting tired of this beach, and so was I.

* * *

Even though you couldn't remember seeing it before, you noticed a familiar looking crossroad coming up. A set of stairs leading forward up ahead, and a path to your left that you somehow knew led to a town. But there was one more thing that drew your eye. A sign with the words Spinda's café in flowing cursive, and next to the sign you see… _Are those stairs?_ _Isn't it a bit early for those to be here? _You thought to yourself. The last bit of sun was about fade away. There weren't much sound coming from the the town, you'd guess most of the Pokémon were probably closing up shop by now. The café still seemed very lively though.

You wanted to find Piplup and convince him to join the guild tonight. _I can still salvage the situation_ you thought, yeah right. Your nose twitched and you resisted the urge to follow the noise down the stairs, maybe you'd even be able to get a free drink but now was simply not the time.

Standing here being unsure certainly didn't do you any good. You made your way in the direction of the town. Past it there were supposed to be a cliffside, maybe you would find Piplup there. Or you should be able to find him there but with everything that's been going on, what are the odds of things actually working out this time? It couldn't take more then a few minutes to cross town, or so you thought until you actually got a good look around. Let's just say it was a lot bigger than you expected. There were a few familiar looking buildings but that's where the similarities ended. Roads snaked in all sorts of directions and currently closed shops littered every part of the main path. Said path eventually lead to the town square. There were larger buildings further away from the main road, possibly living areas. Cause lets be real, no way did Pokémon actually sleep in their shops. You could already imagine the bustling crowds that would be wandering about during daytime, it made you uneasy. There was only ever one reason for so many Pokémon to gather in a single location, not that you could remember it currently.

_Straight through the town_ you told yourself. And with that you finally started to move. Your arm ached, you were running on empty and you still hadn't been able to get any water, but yet you kept moving because simple discomfort had never been something that would stop you from reaching your goal. Not that there ever was a choice when you had formed that habit. Maybe you were the hardy type after all. You ignored the strange looks thrown in your direction, the muttering when people noticed your injured arm. If anyone cared enough to stop you, they certainly didn't try, luckily enough.

_It was supposed to be simple_ you thought. _Straight through the town_ you repeated to yourself. After over half an hour of speed walking, you had the reality hit you full force in the face once more. It's about time you get it trough your head that nothing is how you think it should be. Not here. You were now faced with a large shop, a front desk shaped as a kangaskhan, leading to a large storage building with massive letters spelling out Kangaskhan storage stamped across the front. If you were able to get a small peek from where the warehouse opened up, you would expect to see shelved and drawers that stacked up to the ceiling. Just like everything else in this town, it was a lot grander than you expected. The big problem was that where this shop currently sat was also the end of the road. There was nothing further. No cliffside.

You started shaking just a little before spotting a lone magnemite floating down the road across from where you stood. You put another smile on your face and approached. "Excuse me" You greeted. "Can you tell me how to get to the sharpedo bluff please?" You kept your face bright and ignored the stinging in your arm.

"The bluff?" The pokemon muttered. "Now why would you want to go there? There's nothing but rocks and dirt in that direction. The area is unstable, it's no wonder it was closed off" Magnemite explained, eye narrowing on your arm, which was currently covered in dry blood.

"I just wanted to visit a friend and return something of his!" You told them. Cheery as always, or at least as cheery as you had tried to come across since you landed in this huge mess.

"No one lives at the bluff" It stared at you now, distrust in its eyes. "And where in the world did you get those injuries? Does the guild accept children now?" You weren't a big fan of these questions.

"I just had a little scuffle, that's all" You awkwardly rubbed the back of your neck and struggled to keep your smile on. You wanted to tell them that you weren't a child, that just because you were short and fluffy, it didn't mean you were unable to take care of yourself.

"Well then, follow me" The steel Pokémon demanded before gently pushing you in the only direction which still seemed to have anything open at the time.

"wait!" you tried, sidestepping Magnemite. "I really just want to see my friend, they'll patch me up for sure." It didn't seem convinced.

"Don't be absurd, down at the Magnezone station we'll get you looked at properly by a professional and then you can rapport the crime!" It honestly didn't seem like such a bad idea. It had gone completely dark and while your eyes let you see just fine, the idea of being out in the open while it was dark wasn't something you reveled at. A last-ditch effort then.

"I need to find my friend, they're a piplup, have you seen them around these parts? Please, I need to find them" You asked with a pleading look. You didn't want to give up on the script. It was the only guide you had, no matter how uncertain, no matter how unstable. You knew that if you followed that, if you managed to keep things going like they were supposed to then maybe you would be able to keep some control over the situation.

"…" You could tell the steel Pokémon were mulling things over. Honestly you wouldn't trust a blooded stranger either so you couldn't really blame Magnemite for hesitating the way it were.

"Please" You repeated, still trying, still hoping.

"I saw Piplup at Spinda's café, I believe he works there. Why don't you have a look there?" Your face lit up. "Now don't look at me that way, if you still can not find your friend then come to the station you hear?" It made a gesture to the building in which it had tried to direct you earlier.

"Of course! thank you so much for your help" You gave the steel type your first genuine smile. You twirled around and made your way back to the crossroads. You didn't give a second thought to the lingering feeling in your chest and sped up your movements. If only you had followed your want for a drink, you wouldn't have needed to waste all this time.

* * *

You were currently in a small jog. It should take less time to get out of the town now that you knew where to look and in what direction to go. You were exhausted, even more so then earlier. Lucky thing Pokémon saw better then humans or you would definitely have gotten lost by now. Maybe if you weren't so caught up in following the script and checked out the café when you first wanted to, you probably would have found the bird by now. Your nose twitched again.

You heard the volume of chatter increase as you made your way further down the stairs labeled Spinda's cafe, they looked a lot bigger in person which made sense considering Pokémon of all sizes would be spending their time here. They also seemed to go on for a lot longer. The brightness of the room, while stinging your eyes were still a comfort. It felt like a refuge from the outside, which it was in a way. Pokémon of all shapes and sizes were sitting by tables with a similar difference in proportions. One of the things that surprised you were the second floor, it made up the top part of the massive underground cavern and had stairs of its own. You really shouldn't be surprised by now. Nothing was like you remembered. What you thought you remembered. Better accept it and stop getting caught up on the differences.

One Pokémon in particular caught your attention. A blue little penguin was moving about while balancing a tray on their head. You almost dropped your jaw on the floor. Some of the Pokémon were being rather rowdy and loud. It didn't take more then a few seconds to figure out that this was more then just the juice bar you had expected it to be. The image of the little bird dodging between other Pokémon several times his size and weight while balancing alcoholic beverages made you somewhat uncomfortable. You tried getting in closer, weaving between other Pokémon the best you could with your weary body.

You heard Spinda. "Could you get me another flask of perfect apple cider before settling in for the night?" He asked the water Pokémon who replied with a court nod. Piplup then spotted you with a small jump. You almost expected him to run away but nothing quite so entertaining. Instead he ran to a door further back in the shop. It was marked with Employees only. You scoffed at the sign and followed, hugging the side of the counter to make sure Spinda didn't notice you.

You squeezed trough the door before it closed completely.

"You c-can't be in here" Piplup stuttered at you. You honestly wondered what you were still doing. So obsessed with following this "script" of yours that you didn't stop to think about the current situation. This Pokémon clearly didn't have the drive needed when it came to exploring. You needed the relic…or so you thought. It would be smarter of you to simply keep it and head for the guild by yourself. You knew it was the more logical choice but you couldn't get the idea out of your head, the idea that a main character shouldn't be signing up for Wigglytuff's guild by themselves, it simply was not part of the plan. The plan you set up for yourself when you managed to piece some parts of the puzzle together, but then you ignored everything that had been going on in front of you. It wasn't a game, and you couldn't keep on pretending like it was. You had to adapt to what was going on in the moment, not try to force everyone else to fill their little roles as if they were nothing but one dimensional NPCs, as if they had nothing better to do then be toys in your little game. Take the relic and leave.

"Y-you…you still have it" It wasn't a question. He noticed the small rock you still held in your hand after all this time. Your felt the soreness in your fingers as you showed Piplup his treasure. Your hand struggled to release its grip on the relic.

"Yeah, I wouldn't let them take it. It belongs to you after all" You replied with a faint smile. _Damn I'm tired_.

"Is that why your arm is hurt?" He whispered. You gave a small nod.

"It was nothing I couldn't handle" you said while swaying on your feet a little. Completely on purpose of course. The water Pokémon finally accepted the small rock.

"They wanted the fragment, why didn't you give it to them?" He asked, cringing slightly as he tried to brush off some of the dried blood from his treassure.

You were unsure on how to reply to his question. In the end it had nothing to do with him, it was all about you. You knew it was important somehow._ it got something to do with my future, or with my lost memories, or something._ It was the only true answers you could give him. I would advise against it, however.

"You said it was your treasure, I guessed it was probably important to you" Keeping the crazy truth to yourself then. smart. It's easier this way after all. You smiled wider as Piplups eyes brightened at your words. Or maybe…this is why you did it, because you hoped you would see that look.

"You know, I actually tried to visit the guild earlier today to sign up as an apprentice" he began "But I got scared, I couldn't go trough with it. I don't know why" Probably cause he's a bit of a chicken. Your nose twitched in annoyance. But even then you knew I was right.

"So, you DO want to be an explorer?" You asked softly.

"Of course! I don't see how anyone would ever want to be anything else" He spoke with confidence for the first time since you met him. "But in the end I guess it isn't a job for everybody, that's why I'm working here. I get a nice room, free food and pocket money for whatever I want" He trailed off into silence. "It really isn't for me…You got hurt for my sake" Not exactly but you weren't about to correct him on the matter, and so you let him continue uninterrupted. "I don't think I'd be able to stand putting a partner in danger on a daily basis" A look of guilt crossed his soft features. You never imagined someone with a beak could be so expressive. "Besides, I would need a really strong partner to make up for my own shortcomings, and what kind of Pokémon would I be to demand so much from someone else?" Your nose twitched. You couldn't really stand listening to him talk down to himself like that.

"So, what about me?" You questioned.

"What?" He tilted his head in confusion as if the idea of someone wanting to partner up with him was impossible. Not surprising. You shook your head a little.

"What if I become your partner?" You asked him as brightly as you could manage with what little energy you had left.

"I couldn't possibly ask you to do that!" He exclaimed. "You'll get hurt because of me!"

"I already have some experience with that" You replied with a forced laugh.

"I've heard the training is really difficult"

"I'm fine with that"

"Things can get really dangerous! you might even get infected with dungeon sickness!"

"I'll manage" You answered told him with more confidence then you currently had. _What the hell is dungeon sickness?_

"You don't understand, I tried signing up, but I couldn't. You don't want me as a partner…" I second that. Your nose twitched again.

"Listen" You started. "If I promised you that I will stick with you, no matter what. Will you make an exploration team with me?" You asked hopefully. If you failed, you would be out a magic rock and a potential partner. There would be nothing else to but stumble back to the town and hoping that the Magnezone station was open during all hours. Otherwise you'd have to sleep outside, in the dark.

After a long pause, Piplup spoke up again. "What if I'm to scared, what if I freeze up?" He looked at you with sad eyes. Puppy dog eyes they call them, birds have them too.

"I'll just have to shock you out of it then" You gave him a playful wink.

"What if I get hurt, what if things become too much!?" His voice was shaking now. It was relatable to be honest. What sane person would willingly throw themselves in danger without a strong sense of purpose? A purpose this Pokémon seemed to be lacking. You just HAD to give him back the rock, didn't you? Your nose twitched again. We should keep a counter for that.

"I won't let anything happen to you" You promised. "I want to be an explorer too" That was a lie, well maybe just a little bit "And if you think you can't keep up then I'll just have to drag you along myself" The words sounded more forceful then you intended but from the look you were given it seemed to work.

"….Alright"

Your breath hitched just a little bit. "So, you'll make an exploration team with me?" He nodded at you. You felt your eyes water again. Not out of happiness, but out of sheer relief that things were finally starting to look up. But he didn't need to know that. You've been tearing up quite a bit today haven't you, Hero? Your nose twitched again. Seems like you were forming a habit.

"Alright then" You said as Piplup cringed again at the crusty, blooded hand you offered him. "Partner"

The door suddenly opened and Spinda didn't even seem to notice you when he shambled in. "Piplup! Where is that perfect apple cider? Wigglytuff is here!"

* * *

**I think this is a good time to talk about what I've been trying to go for with this fic. I always did love reader centric fiction because it always felt more immersive to me. I love the idea that a fanfiction follows the basic story of the game but branch out in ways you wouldn't expect while still staying true to the original. That and I absolutely love the idea of a main character that somehow knows what's going to happen, PMD: warped skies pulls this off in an incredibly entertaining story which is the main inspiration and driving force behind my own fanfiction. I was a bit worried that the way I wrote things would be to complicated but my friend made a comparison with saying that the narrator of my story functions sort of like a dungeon master, that will follow YOU on your journey. Personally I think that was a pretty nice comparison. I'm sadly a bit of a fleeting person, I get very much interested in a franchise for a while but eventually I burn out or lose interest, so I don't know how long I'll be keeping this story alive but it sure was enjoyable to write(most of it anyway). I feel like I've done something right if I can reread trough the story and have a small chuckle at something I forgot I had written earlier. This story will have references to both explorers and rescue team so for optimal enjoyment I would recommend playing both of those games, maybe you can catch some of the references in the first chapter. Does anyone get what I mean by a pikachu betting half of their left ear?**

**I'm not the best writer and I struggle with quite a few things, but I did put a lot of effort into proof reading believe it or not, here's hoping I'll be doing better in the future.**

**Author's Note:**

> Because fanfiction.net is very iffy about 2nd person so as a precaution, I'm posting the fic here as well.


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